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Free Anti-Virus Software

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Avira security software

Image via Wikipedia

Computer viruses are a common problem. Unfortunately, many people still do not protect their PCs with anti-virus software. Many people will let their subscriptions expire due to the price. However, the damage to your PC may be far costlier than most reputable anti-virus programs. These days money is tight for millions of people in this troubling economy. When money is tight and the bills need to be paid, the last thing a person thinks about is paying for an anti-virus program. The good news is you can still protect your PC with free anti-virus software. It may not be the best software; however, it is better than no protection at all.

Avira AntiVir offers free anti-virus protection with its Personal Edition. The free Personal Edition software will protect your PC against viruses and spyware. However, it does not scan e-mail. If you open an email, you will not get a message indicating the email is infected with a virus. Although, if you open the email and it does contain a virus, the program will detect it. The paid version of the program offers full protection. If you are looking for free software, make sure you are choosing the Personal Edition.

The Security Essentials software by Microsoft is another good free option. It has a decent detection rate and is efficient in detecting malware. The software program is simple to use and it provides basic security features. The software requires that you have an authentic copy of Windows installed or it will not work. The software does have a low speed scan rate and takes a great deal of time to detect malware and quarantine it. Security Essentials by Microsoft is much better than not having any protection at all.

A popular free anti-virus software that is comparable to many popular programs is Avast. The software can be used in conjunction with another software program that you may be using. It provides good detection rates and you can run scans on-demand. The free software does offer more features than many of the free programs available.

The free alternatives for anti-virus protection will provide at least minimal protection for your PC.

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LG Quantum: a Little Behind the Times

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Microsoft has been hungrily pursuing the smartphone market for years now. And with the introduction of its Phone 7 operating system, they have made some impressive strides. They have also done some unifying to the phones they are used in, since Phone 7 has some particular system requirements (such as a 5 megapixel camera). However, the LG Quantum still seems to be something of a step backward, or at the best, too short of a step forward to be genuinely competitive with the iPhones, Droids and Blackberries of the modern world. Keep in mind that for people who use the term today, “the modern world” may indicate a condition which has only existed for a few months of time. Time isn’t marching on so much as sprinting on.

The Quantum’s screen is 3.5 inches, which is good… but nothing special. As well, the fold out QWERTY keyboard is nice to have, and the overall bulk of the phone makes typing on the keyboard more stable. Of course, if you enjoy a phone that will fit into the pocket of your tightest jeans, this could be a problem. And if you have been secretly longing to use the dvorak keyboard, you will be out of luck with this physical keyboard. There is also no capability to install additional memory, although 16GB should be enough for most people. And the speakerphone is a little on the quiet side, as well.

Overall, the Quantum is a decent little phone. One would be hard pressed to knock it in any respect. It is a solid performer with reasonable features. It just seems as though Microsoft does not realize that its days on the cutting edge of things have faded, and is deluding itself into believing that technology from two or three years ago is still the best the consumer can get. In this world, people have largely found that they can do a lot better. Now ante up, Microsoft.

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The Samsung Focus: Pretty Sweet

December 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Microsoft’s Phone 7 operating system is changing the way people use their smartphones. While every smartphone that comes out today has a lot of impressive features (and having a gorgeous screen is just the price of admission), Microsoft has seriously outdone itself in this regard. As well as featuring the new hub feature (which organizes everything around certain topics), you also have the ability to create and edit word and excel documents right on your phone. Couple that with the ability to edit and view powerpoint presentations, and you have a serious contender here. While the hardware is not quite at the iPhone level, the overall package on the software side is truly a thing of beauty, no matter how you slice it.

If you have never heard of the Office Hub, you will soon enough. And then you will inevitably grow to love it, as it takes everything you like about Microsoft Office, and makes it incredibly portable. Now you can whip out your phone, and put together a spreadsheet wherever you are- a childhood dream come true, most definitely. And if you want to check out a powerpoint presentation, you can do that as well. They even have a new feature called OneNote Mobile, which allows you to record messages and put together quick lists, memos and whatnot. With this capability, you can even attach images to messages, to jog your memory later on.

The Focus also has both an 5 megapixel camera and a 720p HD video camera in it. While those things are great, they wouldn’t be so awesome if not for the fact that the screen is near the top of the current heap, boasting 480 x 800 pixels on only a little over 4 inches across. You can indulge your inner film maker and show Big Hollywood who has the real goods. Or you can just take the next great viral video of someone falling over, epic fail style.

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